Focusing On What’s Good When Writing for Change
Championing good ideas works better than tearing down bad ones
Writing on topics like equality, social justice and sustainability is challenging, at any time. The more controversial the topic the more important it becomes to write with intelligence, clarity, and - whenever feasible - optimism.
Without these elements, writing on difficult topics can soon become an unhinged rant, focused on the problematic, often without even a hint at a potential solution.
Writing about problems without solutions is fairly pointless unless you are simply writing to document what’s going on – a vital service, of course, but not what most of us are aiming for if we see ourselves as potential change makers.
Many writers fully understand the need for clear, intelligent, well-researched writing. The need for optimism is less well-understood. In his article Why Facts Don’t Change Minds, James Clear puts it this way:
“Your time is better spent championing good ideas than tearing down bad ones.”
Remember that changing minds and hearts is hard. People are set in their ways. Their ideas and prejudices are rooted deep within them, and critical thinking is not something widely taught or encouraged.
Bad ideas can become a part of you. Never challenged, never questioned, and therefore never changed. What’s more, we become more entrenched in ideas when we feel under threat - which is why writing can be so valuable, allowing us the opportunity to present threatening ideas in a non-threatening environment.
The cognitive bias known at the Illusory Truth Effect means we believe misinformation more easily when it’s repeated many times, even if some of the time it’s just our own voice repeating it, so sometimes forcing people to defend their bad ideas can be counter-productive.
If we can’t change the way people look at things by tearing down bad ideas, what can we do? Sometimes (by no means always) we can do it by presenting them with good ideas.
One of my most popular book review articles on Medium is called 3 Books That Reduced My Anxiety & Depression About The State of The World. It highlights three books that address a series of problems and point out how those problems could be addressed, mitigated, and even potentially solved. Three books that are full of good ideas. Three authors who decided to put their energy into championing good ideas rather than simply tearing down bad ones.
Your writing exercise for this week:
When you sit down to write your next piece, start with the positive, the optimistic, the potential solution. Start with a good idea. And build around it.
Yes, you can address the problems, include the (perhaps depressing) statistics, explore the issue that needs changing. But don’t let the writing become a rant or a rage or a spiral of doom.
Look for at least one good idea you can champion. Perhaps an action that can be taken. See if you can create - for at least some of your readers - the lightbulb moment that sparks real change.
Some thoughts from others I’ve been enjoying this week
How to Get 10 Book Reviews in the Next 10 Days (Without Begging Friends and Family) by
How To Make Your Readers Relate To You by
The Smartest Way to Price Your Newsletter (with Insights from "The Queen of Subscriptions") by
What else I’ve been up to this week
(Re)Reading: Reading Like a Writer: A Guide For Book Lovers (one of my personal top 15 books for writers)
Watching: The final season of Veep (what an ending!)
Working on: Improving my nutrition (with a focus on how, why and when I eat)
Studying: The HERO Framework: Switch Your Marketing From Ignored to Influential from Write Like You Mean It
This week’s Medium post
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